Home Is Where The Warmth Is
by DeclanTheMetaphysicalBanana
Summary: [Tokka] Six months into their relationship, Sokka decides it's time for Toph to formally meet his family and explore his home of the Southern Water Tribe. However, where Sokka's thoroughly enjoying himself in his old home, Toph is finding the experience slightly different. ((Contains Tokka fluff, very minor angst, and Hakoda my main man being a dad.))


**Home Is Where The Warmth Is**

by DeclanTheMetaphysicalBanana

* * *

Toph sighed. She and Sokka stood side by side on the deck of the ship going between the Earth Kingdom and the Southern Water Tribe, feeling the ocean breeze wash over them. Almost half an hour ago, the air had gradually shifted from the warm winds of the waters around the Earth Kingdom to the cooler air of the Air Nomad territory, and she had no doubt the cool breeze would soon turn into a cold nip, and she would have to change into the winter clothes that Sokka had bought her.

It was six months into their relationship - she could scarcely believe it herself, and the thought still made her all giddy if she was feeling particularly sentimental - and she and Sokka decided that it was time she met his family. They hadn't openly announced their relationship to the rest of the family yet, and they planned to break the news during the meeting.

Toph had already met Hakoda, of course, but that was during the war, and Sokka was still with Suki then. They determined that a more civilian meeting was in order, and after a few back-and-forth letters they were on the ship to the Southern Water Tribe with bags bulging with Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom souvenirs.

At the moment Sokka was rambling on and on about things they could do once they'd arrived. "We'll have to check in with Dad and Gran Gran first, of course, but that won't be hard. You'll love them, I swear."

"Sokka…"

"But afterwards we can go and get some of the local delicacies - grilled eel-shrimp are really good around these months. I've heard cat-fish are really good as well, but they don't go near our old fishing spot."

"Sokka."

"And then we can go check out some of the old monuments, like the old ship that the water benders trapped. Then we could go penguin sledding with-"

"Sokka." Toph said, forcefully this time. Sokka jumped, broken out of his train of thought.

"What?" He looked around wildly, carefully honed battle instincts hard to ignore. "What's going on?"

"You're ruining the moment." Toph said, putting her arm around Sokka's and leaning against him.

"Ah." Sokka smiled ruefully. "Sorry."

He leaned down a little, and kissed her on the top of her head - Toph flushed, red crawling up her cheeks, but she didn't react, just tightening her grip a little on Sokka's arm. She had learned to deal with his displays of affection - Sokka was a romantic type of guy, and cute gestures like that were common with him.

He smirked, but the smile faded when he looked down and saw Toph's brow knitted in concentration.

"Hey," he nudged her gently. "What's up?"

Toph shook her head. "It's nothing," She murmured. "Nothing important."

"It's bothering you," Sokka pointed out. "So it's important to me."

Toph punched him in the shoulder for uttering such a cheesy line. "Idiot," she said happily, redoubling her efforts at strangling his arm after returning to their previous position.

Sokka smiled, though the smile soon dropped to a more concerned expression. "Seriously, though. I don't want this to turn out poorly - is something wrong? Should we reschedule?"

"No, no." Toph shook her head. "I'm fine. It's just - nerves, you know?"

Sokka's mouth formed a small o. "Oh… I see."

He thought about it for a moment. "It's the Southern way to be hospitable and welcoming to visitors. If it's being given the cold shoulder you're worried about, then you have nothing to be nervous about."

"Ha ha." Toph laughed, flatly. "Cold shoulder. Funny."

"I swear that was unintentional."

"Uh huh."

"Honestly! I didn't-" His complaints were silenced when she pulled him towards her and pressed her lips against his. She pulled away a few moments later, a soft smile on her face. "Buh."

"I feel better now." She said, amused by his antics. He always managed it, somehow. "Thanks."

"S' my job." Sokka said, putting an arm around her. "Come on, the air's turning cold. We should get into our winter clothes."

Toph shivered when she realized how cold it had gotten. "Right." She tried her best to banish the niggling doubt in her mind, and followed Sokka back to their room - on the wooden ship, she needed him to help guide her. Not that she minded - being coddled was satisfying every so often.

* * *

"Sokka!"

Sokka grinned as he heard the familiar call of this father from the docks. He rushed to the side, bringing Toph with him, and called back. "Dad! We're here!"

As the ship drew to a halt in front of the Southern Water Tribe's docks, Sokka and Toph made their way down the gangplank, with the young man throwing himself into the arms of his father. "Woah!" Hakoda laughed - his deep, rich voice was almost the same as Sokka's, Toph noted, except a little older and more mature - and stumbled backwards, taking a few steps to steady himself. "You're getting a little too heavy for that, son - look at you!"

Indeed - he and Sokka were almost eye-level to one other, now - with another year, Sokka would be as tall as he was. "It's been a long time, Dad."

"Three years." Hakoda said softly, holding him at arms length, seeing his son in a new light. "You didn't visit us."

"I was busy." Sokka tried to smile, though he did regret staying away for so long. "You're not mad, are you?"

"How could I be mad at you?" Hakoda's eyes twinkled, and he lowered his voice conspiratorially. "Now, I believe you were going to introduce me to that young lady over there…?"

Sokka nodded, embarrassment coloring his face - in his eagerness to rekindle with his dad, he had neglected to introduce Toph. Moving to stand beside Toph, he wrapped an arm around her and, knowing that she couldn't see with the thick winter boots, nudged her forward a little bit, adjusting her so she faced Hakoda. "Dad, I know you've met her already during the war, but… this is Toph Beifong. My long time friend." He smiled bashfully.

"Toph, this is my Dad, Hakoda. War Chief of the South." Hakoda stretched out a hand, and Sokka guided Toph's hand so she could shake it.

"Good to meet you, Miss Beifong." Hakoda said, bringing the hand back after shaking. Sokka kept holding Toph's hand, so she had someone to guide her.

"Good to meet you too, sir," Toph said cordially, some of her noble education resurfacing unintentionally.

"Please! Just call me Hakoda. I'm not going to be War Chief for long, anyway - the Council's arranging for someone actually good for domestic leadership to come and help me. I'll just be chief, then, one of many in charge of the villages."

"Then just call me Toph," Toph said, somewhat glumly. She was still relieved, though - the meeting was going more smoothly than she'd expected. The sight was going to be an issue - she couldn't even shake hands unaided, but she was glad that Sokka was there to remedy things. "The Beifong name isn't really one I associate myself with."

Hakoda nodded understandingly. "I see. Well, this is the Southern Water Tribe. As you can s- tell, it's mostly just cold. And snow. But it'll grow on you. Come on - I've arranged for a small snow house to be built next to ours. You can stay there, for the time being."

Sokka gave a breath of relief as Hakoda avoided saying a sight based observation. "This way," He supplied helpfully, gently guiding Toph through the docks area.

Her foot stubbed against a crate. "Sorry!" Sokka apologized, leading her to a path with less obstacles.

"I'm fine," Toph murmured, nudging Sokka slightly. "Don't be such a sissy. I've been through worse."

"I know, it's just…"

"I know." Toph repeated. "It's you. You like to keep the ones you love safe."

Sokka smiled, and was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he nearly drove Toph into a low wall - if not for him diving in front of her so he hit the wall instead, with Toph only bumping gently against him. "Ow! Wall!"

"Snoozles?"

"I'm good!"

* * *

The rest of the day passed in a blur. They settled in, put down their bags, broke in the bed, and explored the surrounding area. Rather, Sokka explored the area, while Toph listened to him narrate the landscape.

It wasn't something new to the couple, they had gone on sight seeing tours before, with Sokka describing the view to her. It was in time like these that his poetic talent was good for something.

But eventually, the sun sank below the horizon, and the couple had to return to the village for a family dinner with Hakoda and Gran Gran. The village had gone above and beyond to pitch in, showering the small family with food and supplies, so they all ate the best food to be had in the small village - beautiful, multi-colored fish, with clams and crab-shrimp and other delicacies.

By the time they had everything out and ready, Sokka's stomach rumbled like a storm, and they quickly launched into the food. They maintained idle conversation, and throughout the night, they would laugh about the old times, and embarrassing childhood stories of Sokka. It was unlike any family dinner Toph ever had.

—

"-Toph?" Toph blinked, lifting her head up with a start. She had spaced out. Again. She wasn't sure if it was the cold, or her inability to bend… but she'll be damned if she let it ruin the family dinner.

"Uh… I'm sorry, I was distracted by… something. The food?" She offered hopefully. No one commented on the fact that her food was almost completely untouched, but Sokka glanced at her worryingly.

"Gran Gran asked how you were finding our village," He slid a hand under the table and gently grasped hers, squeezing meaningfully. She could imagine the message: Are you okay?

She nodded, squeezing back gratefully. I'm fine. We'll talk later.

"It's… nice." She decided, after a moment of deliberation. "The people are kind, if a little too enthusiastic. I've never seen anyone that eager to help newcomers back at Gao Ling."

"I should hope so," Hakoda laughed. "It's the Southern way to be welcoming, and you're practically family!"

His eyes twinkled knowingly, and Sokka and Toph blushed. Gran Gran and Hakoda seemed to have pieced it together already - not that they made it difficult, with their constant handholding and close whispers. "You're always welcome here, little one," Gran Gran added. Toph had tried to protest, but she supposed that to the old lady, everyone was little. "You can treat it like home."

Toph nodded slowly, though her brows pinched together at the mention of home. Sokka raised an eyebrow, and once again under the table, quietly wrapped an arm around her waist supportively.

The discussion moved on - the quality of fish was improving after the war ended, apparently - and Toph found herself drifting off again.

At the end of the meal, Toph excused herself from the table, and felt her way back to the room she was staying in while the others cleaned up. She wouldn't be much help with that anyway, she reasoned glumly. Not with the blindness and the snow preventing her from bending.

* * *

Later that night, as she laid on her bed thinking, the curtains blocking the doors parted. "Toph?"

Sokka peeked into the room, careful not to wake her if she was asleep already. To his relief, she wasn't, so he invited himself in. Toph was already stripped down to her straw-yellow undershirt, the warmth afforded by the thick insulation enough that she could wear her normal clothes by a fire. Sokka, on the other hand, was still wearing a parka from going about late night chores.

"Hey," She murmured, as she felt him settle next to her, his weight causing the mattress to sink down, sliding her closer to him. Not that she minded, of course. A warm, furry arm settled around her shoulders. "Couldn't sleep?"

"Had some things to finish up." She was almost disappointed to feel the arm retract. The rustle of fabric told her he was shedding his thick parka and winter clothes, dumping them haphazardly onto the ground. When his arm returned, it was skin, not fur, and she felt more comfortable leaning against his warm, topless body. "You?"

"Was thinking." Toph muttered, resting her cheek against his shoulder.

"That's new," Sokka joked, prompting her to bap him on the nose. She chuckled, but the sound quickly died down, and her expression became more sombre once more.

"Trying to be serious, Sokka."

Sokka quieted down, considering her tone of voice. "What's the matter?"

Instead of answering his question, Toph stayed silent for a few moments. "Sokka?"

"Hmm?"

"When we were adventuring around, trying to beat Ozai," Toph asked, "Were you planning to return here? To live out the rest of your life?"

"Well," Sokka paused. "I wasn't really planning on anything. The world was ending, and we were the only ones who could stop it. There was no afterwards."

"You had to have thought about it, though," Toph insisted. "I did. I thought about going back to being the Bandit. Make a name for myself again, grow old famous. Maybe hang out with Bumi and make a mountain together."

They both chuckled at that, though they quickly fell silent again. Sokka looked thoughtful, prodding his memory to recall the answer.

"I did," Sokka admitted, reaching up behind her and undoing her bun. She tensed up - very few people were allowed to do it, and she only recently added Sokka to the list - but she relaxed again when he started running his fingers through her long, raven hair, the soft motions quickly lulling her into a sense of contentment.

"It was the only home I knew," Sokka continued. "And before I left, the village depended on me. I hunted for them, fished for them, fended off the tundra predators and protected them… I couldn't imagine a world where I wasn't needed. Even now, with the men back, I feel like I should help rebuild it to its former glory. It's about honor, you know? Our people should become great again."

"Oh…" Toph's voice was small, and quiet. Sokka looked down, wondering what was going through her mind.

"Why? He asked, as gently as he could manage.

Toph hesitated, her hands clasped so tightly together that they started to go white.

"I don't know if I'm cut out for… this."

"This?" Sokka tilted his head, confused.

"Like - like…" Toph gestured randomly, trying to articulate her point. "This."

"Living here?" Sokka guessed, watching her fingers point at the floor an the snow walls. "At the South Pole?"

"Yeah." Toph nodded slowly.

"Is that what you were thinking about during dinner?" Sokka asked quietly.

She nodded again. "I can't bend, you know. It's… almost unbearable."

"Oh." It was Sokka's turn to sound small and quiet.

"Bending… is a part of myself. Probably more than anyone else." Her hand reached for her space bracelet, removing it and starting to bend it nervously between her hands. "I can't live with only my bracelet to bend. And… I can't see. Not even with my seismic sense. I've had to accept that sometimes I won't be able to sense, and I do - but… for the rest of my life? I can't do that. I don't want to go blind all over again - not after I found a way not to be."

"Oh, Sweetheart…" Sokka murmured, disentangling his hand from her hair and wrapping her up in a close embrace. She squeaked, both expected and caught off guard by the hug. He rarely called her by pet names - she didn't like them, despite her naming all of her friends - but when he did, she knew he really did it out of love. "I could never make you do that."

He leaned in, and warned her, "kiss," before pressing his lips against hers, knowing she would be caught off guard if not. The kiss wasn't rough or desperate, like the ones they shared in the beginning of their relationship. It was soft, gentle, and careful - the kiss of caring lovers. She realized that his hair was let down when the fringes of his hair tickled her forehead.

After a few breathtaking seconds, they pulled away. "I could never make you do that." He said again, breathless, staring her intently in her misty eyes. He knew she didn't know it - but it was more for his benefit for hers. She looked so vulnerable - without her baggy traveling clothes, it was clear how petite she really was. She had muscle, sure, but they were lean, and still accentuated her slender form. How strong must she be? To wander into a place where she was blind, and freezing? How strong her love for him to follow him to such a place?

"I could never take that away from you," He said, gently pressing his forehead against hers, feeling her breath dance across his lips and his breath across hers. "Your bending is like your soul - you deserve to have it."

"But I…" Toph protested weakly, squirming against his hold. "I can't. I can't take you away from your home. You want to be here, and these people need you. I've been away from my parents for so long that I've almost forgotten how they sound. I don't want that to be your life, too."

Sokka's heart melted. Even after all that she's been through, all the hardships and all the patient waiting she's had to do before Sokka finally came through and saw her for the beautiful girl that she was, she was still putting himself before her.

"No… no, Toph, that's not what I meant." Sokka pursed his lips. "There's… a Water Tribe saying. Home's where the warmth is. Because it's always so cold, the best way to find our way home is to follow the warmth and the light."

"But the saying has an earlier iteration., Toph's breath caught as Sokka pulled her close, her chin resting against the crook of his neck, so he could whisper in her ear. "Home's where the heart is. And my heart… it's with you, Toph. You're my home. I'll always be with you."

"Let yourself be selfish for once." He breathed, stroking her hair gently, while cradling her with the other hand. "I'll follow you to the ends of the earth if I have to. So don't worry about me. The tribe has Katara, and Dad, and the Northern tribe's help. They're going to be fine."

Toph shook, her small form overrun by emotion. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, and though she had long since learned that it was okay to cry in front of Sokka, she didn't want to sully the moment with her sobbing and sniffing.

"Sokka…" She began, her hands wandering over the man's back. She traced his spine, sending tingles down his back, and felt the swells and dips of his muscles. "There's a house. A friend owns it, up in the Lung An countryside. It's near the coast - and it's gorgeous. I told her that… if I ever found someone special, that I wanted to live there."

She was straddling him at that point her nose above his. "I think…"

Her hand hovered over his chest until she could feel the beating of his heart.

"I want to move my home there."

Sokka smiled, and pulled the covers up around them.

"Okay."

* * *

The next morning, Hakoda was surprised to find the pair packing up their things. Sokka glanced at his father, not with conflicting but with determined eyes. "I'll write," He promised. "But the ice and the snow… Toph's really having trouble with it. We're planning to go to a summer retreat in the Earth Kingdom. Plenty of earth for her to bend - you know how benders are, Katara was like that, too."

Hakoda chuckled, running a hand through his messy bed-hair. "What can you do about them, eh? You go and have fun, son. We're going to be alright."

Sokka smiled, gratefully. "Thanks, dad."

The two leaned in for a hug, but to his surprise, his father placed something weighty into his hand. He looked down to find a lump of rock in his hands. He looked up to his father, questioningly.

"An earthbender friend gave this to me," Hakoda explained. "I'm no rock expert, but I've been told it's a special formation that only takes place where the ocean meets a rocky coast."

He winked. "You'll need something symbolic for the betrothal necklace."

Sokka turned bright red. "Dad!"

Hakoda laughed out loud, giving Sokka a firm pushing towards Toph. "Go get her, tiger!"

Sokka stumbled, but regained his balance, and approached Toph, though giving his father the stink eye.

Taking her hand, he asked, "Shall we?"

"Of course," She smiled, and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. As the couple boarded the ship and waved the village goodbye, Sokka thumbed the rock in his pocket.

He was leaving home. But he was headed towards a new home, a new life.

He could hardly wait.


End file.
